Father’s Day is my least favorite holiday to buy for. Guys want boring stuff that is boring to shop for. Oh, not ALL guys: I’m sure SOME guys are like, “You know what I’d love for Father’s Day? New towels for the bathroom! And let’s go out for brunch!” But most of them want things that are expensive and who even knows what they are: Ooooo, a TI-nspire Cas! Whatever that is! And all the gift guides assume that dads drink beer and play golf. Sigh. Well, I have a few–A VERY FEW–Father’s Day gift ideas to make the process less painful:

Let’s just start with the TI-nspire Cas, which is what my husband Paul wants (*cough*geek*cough*). It is a calculator. A really awesome calculator. Can I stop trying to write about it now? I can’t think of anything good to say about it, because I don’t want it AT ALL. But Paul does.

I thought Be the Coolest Dad on the Block might be a stupid book aimed at desperate shoppers looking for ANYTHING dad-related. But I had Paul give it a test-read, and he says it’s good: Putting a knitting needle through a balloon without popping it! Making a noise like a pigeon! Burping the alphabet! Demonstrating the history of Earth with a roll of toilet paper! Spectral sausages! If you wanted to make a bigger gift out of it, you could assemble of box of some of the equipment needed for tricks and experiments. Then wander off and have a quiet Father’s Day all to yourself while the children nag Daddy to do more things from the book.

Or how about something from American Science & Surplus? Paul reads the catalog like it’s Victoria’s Secret. They have the kind of eclectic assortment of robot parts, perpetual motion simulators, bacon bandaids, and boxing nuns that appeals to his type. One year I got him the “Surprise Box“: for $10 you can choose either the “Electro-Mechanical Surprise Box” (miscellaneous motors, switches, and other parts that heaven knows what he’ll do with them) or the “Consumer Surprise Box” (for guys who don’t mess around in a workshop and would be more interested in “bottles, toys, books, and giant rubber bands”). (I got him the Electro-Mechanical one, obv.)

(This is Jarvis, the symbol of AS&S. He is not included in either sort of box.)

Well, and of course there’s Mythbusters DVDs. Paul can watch these again and again and AGAIN, getting fresh ideas for things to blow up every time. As of posting time, collections one, two, and three are all 50% off, and their Mega Movie Myths DVD is 43% off.

Or if you just can’t think of anything new and exciting, you can just go with tradition: a set of Orange County Choppers Pez dispensers and a Taters of the Lost Ark Mr. Potato Head.

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